Maybe- not as blatant as pro wrestling but definitly suspicous, absolutly

OH HELL YES

I can't really say if the Lakers/Celtics series was pre-destined. But I CAN say that I'm sick of CONSTANTLY hearing things like "The NBA's dream match-up", "the series that everyone hoped for" and "the series of the century".

Donaughy [sp] gave names but they won't be released until they are investigated.
It's getting juicy now !!
Yeah, Dett, Stern is singing now. Gotta draw him out.
The fans of the small market cities will not sit for this.
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dead on

I don't buy the grand conspiracy threory but there are some abnormalities that are hard to explain.

Stern co had a whole year to clean things up and they did nothing. Last year it was the same old beefs and grudges between refs/players and nothing was done.

This thing is bigger that Stern and it always has been, he just does not get it. Maybe now he will have to address it better than just calling Donaghy names.

I just want things to be better. Call every game the same and every player as if they were equal, thats not a lot to ask. You should not have to guess how this or that crew are going to call the game. Every game should be called the same.

Not sure if this has been posted, but here's the excerpt from the Simmons article from 2002:

Question: What was the most disturbing subplot of the playoffs?Answer: The officiating, also the most disturbing subplot of the past four playoffs. If you examine the last four NBA playoff campaigns, during every situation where the league definitively "needed" one of the two teams involved to win -- either to A) change the momentum of a series so it didn't end prematurely, B) keep an attractive, big-market team alive in a series, or C) advance an attractive, big-market team to another round -- the officiating appeared to be slanted towards the team that needed that game. I use the phrase "appeared to be," because reviewing an official's performance is purely subjective. Maybe I'm dead-wrong. These were just the games that jump out in my mind (again, I could be wrong):

1999, Knicks-Pacers, Game 3 ... LJ sinks a game-winning four-pointer (called a continuation foul by referee Jess Kersey even though LJ was fouled a full second before he released the ball).

1999, Knicks-Pacers, Game 6 ... Knicks last chance to close out Indy before the series shifts back to Indiana for Game 7 ... they get every call.

1999, Spurs-Knicks, Game 3 ... down 2-0, the Knicks get every call in their first home game and win their only game of the series.

2000, Knicks-Heat, Game 7 ... Knicks advance to the conference finals ... falling out of bounds, Latrell Sprewell awarded a timeout by referee Bennett Salvatore with 2.1 seconds left even though none of the Knicks called for one ... Sprewell admits after the game that he hadn't called a timeout ... the Miami players chase the referees off the court after the game, yelling that they had been robbed ... after the game, Jamal Mashburn tells reporters, "They had three officials in their pocket" and Tim Hardaway refers to referee Dick Bavetta as "Knick Bavetta."

2000, Lakers-Blazers, Game 7 ... LA shoots 21 more free throws and rallies back from a 17-point deficit in the final seven minutes ... Shaq plays an illegal defense down the stretch, undaunted ... Rasheed Wallace absolutely gets manhandled down the stretch, yet doesn't get a single call ... up by four with 25 seconds left, Shaq body-blocks Steve Smith out of bounds and the refs don't make the call (the most egregious non-call in recent memory).

2002, Celtics-Nets, Game 4 ... Celts up 2-1 ... the Nets are inexplicably allowed to push and shove Kenny Anderson and Pierce while they dribble the ball ... a number of head-scratchers go against Boston, including three offensive charges down the stretch ... four different "bull-(bleep)" chants during the game.2002, Lakers-Kings, Game 6 ... LA needs a win to stay alive ... from an officiating standpoint, the most one-sided game of the past decade ... at least six dubious calls against the Kings in the fourth quarter alone ... LA averaged 22 free throws a game during the first five games of the series, then attempted 27 freebies in the fourth quarter alone of Game 6 ... rumors that David Stern wanted to pull a Vince McMahon and declare himself "The special guest referee" for this game prove unfounded. (By the way, I would feel remiss if I didn't share this information: Dick Bavetta was assigned to every one of the above games. That's an absolute fact. You can look it up. Doesn't mean anything ... I just felt the need to pass that along. It sure looks bad, doesn't it? Maybe the league could do a favor for Bavetta and not assign him to Game 3 of the Finals, especially if the Lakers jump to a 2-0 lead over New Jersey. You wouldn't want to rile up those conspiracy theorists or anything. Ummmm ...)

Is the FBI investigating Donaghy's allegations? Will others be charged with crimes?

The FBI already has investigated the allegations. Donaghy first met with FBI agents in July 2007. A team of agents has been probing his stories ever since. As the result of their investigations, federal prosecutors have filed what is known as a 5(k) letter. The 5(k) letter means the agents have checked on the stories and have concluded Donaghy was truthful. The 5(k) letter does not apply to the 2002 Western Conference finals Game 6 because the statute of limitations had expired. More than five years went by before Donaghy described that game to any agents. There was no reason to look into that game because no one could be charged with a crime. The 5(k) letter does apply to statements Donaghy made to agents regarding the three games in 2005. The information could result in a reduction of Donaghy's prison sentence when Amon sentences him July 14. He faces a maximum of 33 months in prison under federal guidelines.

Although the FBI has concluded Donaghy was truthful, it does not mean others will be charged with crimes. Agents and prosecutors easily could have concluded that the rigging of the four games was reprehensible but did not qualify as a federal crime. There was no indication of gambling or money laundering or racketeering on the part of the NBA in Donaghy's allegations. If the NBA wants to extend a series to a seventh game, it might be fraud upon the fans, but it is not a federal crime.

Stern is losing this battle. His stance is Don is a criminal and ignore him. He played Bavetta last nite like nothing mattered.
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Personally I think the league is clean but it's unstable. Until Stern acknowledges this I hope his reign crumbles.
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The poll strengthens...

"There were some suspicions that the referees that were chosen were company men," Nader said.

..
He readily admits there are far more important issues in America than NBA officiating, but he sees it as a relevant consumer issue in that many fans see sports as a sanctuary and deserve to believe in its legitimacy. Nader still would like to see the NBA's officiating practices put under a microscope -- by an independent, objective entity.

Max I heard that interview on Sirius.
Nader can be so anti-establishment that I love his initiatives. He will not kiss any Big Business azz.
ML Sports can't be compromised, cause then we can't bet on them. ;>i]

Max I heard that interview on Sirius.
Nader can be so anti-establishment that I love his initiatives. He will not kiss any Big Business azz.
ML Sports can't be compromised, cause then we can't bet on them. ;>i]

Click to expand...

Stern would be well advised not to blow him off though. Nader is both smarter and a better lawyer than him.